One Battle's End, and Another's Beginning
by Kash Dragon Queen
Summary: The final Battle has ended, and someone has passed on. but the after math leaves InuYasha with a new responsibility. Who is this female, and what is it about her that has InuYasha in a twist? InuYashaOC sort of...
1. Default Chapter

Disclaimer: I do not own Inu-Yasha or any of the cast members created by Rumiko  
Takahashi. But I do own my character, and maybe later, characters!  
  
"..." Speaking  
  
'...' Thinking  
  
Scene change  
  
I only did that because many others write in odd ways, and I don't want to have you all confused! Enjoy!  
  
(See, makes things a whole simpler!)  
  
... The battle was almost over and the land around lay in a great disastrous heap. The young children, Shippou and Rin, were at the village to stay safe. Kirara flew overhead, taking out any remaining demons. Miroku and Sango were on the side of the clearing, staying as hidden as possible. Kagome was on the other side, just dropped off by Inu-Yasha. Inu-Yasha himself, was heading towards Naraku. Sesshou-Maru was near by, standing protectively in front of another female.  
  
But all the while, Naraku was getting ready to send another blast of his power. Though out the whole battle, Naraku had kept his own, until Kagome had shot one of her arrows into his side, causing him to have a power struggle. But now he was ready to deal them a good, and maybe final blow of his unspeakable power.  
  
He readied himself, preparing to send the energy blast and kill them once and for all. The earth gave a quake as he began to glow once again, and they readied themselves for what was to come. But he began to glow even brighter than all the times before, and all that remained standing, shook with fear.  
  
'Shit! The last one was powerful, and this looks to be even more deadly! I have to protect Kagome!' Inu-Yasha thought, leaping as quickly as he could to her side.  
  
Sesshou-Maru knew it was coming as well, and stood over the quivering female behind him.  
  
Miroku set up the quickest magic shield he could, just as the blast came.  
  
It was the most powerful of all, blanketing the entire area with a black light of demonic power. Each man protected the woman closest to him, keeping her safe from certain death.  
  
Inu-Yasha surrounded Kagome with the folds of the red cloth, keeping his back to the blast, fully protecting her.  
  
Sesshou-Maru also surrounded the female next to him, almost to the point of suffocating her. All closed their eyes, waiting for the light to fade. When the light finally died, Inu-Yasha, Miroku, Sango, and Kagome looked to where Naraku was. He was very weak from his attack, and was now an easy target. Inu-Yasha took the chance and dealt the final blow. He stood panting over the body of Naraku, and collapsed upon the ground, Kagome ran to him, only to find him terribly weak, but still alive.  
  
Miroku and Sango went over to the body, to see for themselves if he truly was dead, or if it had been another of his golems. But, sure enough, it was the real Naraku. Sango grabbed his hand, and pulled away the cloth. A single tear ran down his face Miroku's face, and Sango pulled him into a tight embrace.  
  
"Looks like I don't have clean up duty anymore," he joked, Sango joining him in joyful laughter.  
  
Kagome helped Inu-Yasha up, and went to retrieve the shards that Naraku had held. Inu-Yasha went over to look at the monk's hand, just out of curiosity. Then a thought struck him.  
  
'Where's my brother at? Surely he didn't take off already,' he thought, looking around. Then he caught sight of him. "Oh, no...," were his last words before going over to him.  
  
He walked over and could very well see his brother's condition. Sesshou-Maru lay on the ground, the female hovering over him with tear stained cheeks. He was barely breathing, and his eyes were closed. Inu- Yasha knelt down next to his elder brother, not sure whether to talk to him, or leave him be. But something inside him was bothering him, and he dared to ask.  
  
"Hey, brother, you ok?" he asked, trying to keep his voice steady.  
  
Sesshou-Maru opened his eyes slightly, and looked Inu-Yasha's way. His eyes were cloudy, and his usual emotionless mask was completely gone, leaving him with a look of pure helplessness. It scared Inu-Yasha a little to see his brother like this, and also, he felt pity.  
  
'He's never looked like this before, he can't be... no. My brother is too tough for anything like that! Maybe he just...' but his brother had somehow read his thoughts.  
  
"You look.... Odd...little brother... is something... the matter?" Sesshou- Maru asked, breathing deeply form the short speech.  
  
"Don't waste your breath brother. You'll be needing it," Inu-Yasha told him, trying to lighten the tension. But it didn't work to well, for Sesshou-Maru started to cough loudly, catching the attention of the humans. They walked over to where he lay, their faces etched with concern. He saw them coming, but did nothing to hide his feelings. To him, it was no use in this state of health.  
  
Miroku and Sango were deeply worried, but kept a good distance between themselves and the Inu-Youkai Lord. Kagome was none too shy of the great demon, and came to sit next to Inu-Yasha. They both had their faces contorted with worry and fear. Sesshou-Maru sensed this, and tried to tell off their worry.  
  
"Inu-Yasha... you and your ... Kagome... look rather ... odd," he said in a raspy voice. Then he seemed to understand what they were feeling. "I see... you are both... confused... are you not?" Sesshou-Maru asked.  
  
"No we're just..."  
  
"We're concerned with your condition," Kagome replied, ignoring Inu- Yasha. "You've never looked like this before, and we're worried about you."  
  
'Their.... Worried about ... Me?' "Why?"  
  
"Because you look half dead already," came Inu-Yasha's sour comment. Everyone turned glares towards him, 'cept for his brother.  
  
"Inu-Yasha, sit," Kagome said, not even looking at him. Sesshou-Maru looked quite surprised to see him brother suddenly slam into the ground. But he gave a small smile, and turned a taunting eye towards his brother as he got up. Everyone looked quite confused to see him smile, and also a little flustered.  
  
"Looks like... you should... watch your mouth... around... that female," Sesshou-Maru half-laughed, getting even more confused stares. But he just ignored them.  
  
"Little Brother... may I have... a word with you... for one second?" Sesshou- Maru asked, getting his brother attention again.  
  
"What is it?" Inu-Yasha asked him.  
  
"Could I... ask you privately... this does not... concern ... the others," he rasped.  
  
"Alright, could you all give me moment?" Inu-Yasha asked, or rather commanded, understanding his brother's comment. They understood, and went to clean up the battlefield. There were only three left: Sesshou-Maru, Inu- Yasha, and the female.  
  
"So... what did you want to talk about?"  
  
"I now... you can see... that I'm in... rather... poor condition," Sesshou- Maru told him, receiving a nod. "Then you know... what you must do..." he said.  
  
"If you mean taking control of the Western Lands, then you'd be asking for a miracle," was Inu-Yasha's response.  
  
"No... I did not ...mean that. I meant... The care of... the females... that have been... under my... protection," Sesshou-Maru said matter-of-factually. Inu-Yasha became rather tense and all at once, and then asked,  
  
"You mean that little child?" Sesshou-Maru nodded, "and what other female you talkin' about?"  
  
"The one... beside me," He replied. The female then looked up at Inu- Yasha, her eyes blood shot from her crying, but said nothing.  
  
"Is that what you didn't want everyone to hear?" Inu-Yasha asked him, cocking his brow.  
  
"No.... not that ... but what I... will tell you... next," Sesshou-Maru told him. "I now, I haven't ... been the best... of a brother... to you. And you... never deserved that." He took a deep breath, preparing for next part of what he was to say. "I now that... I can't make it... up to you now. But I will say... that..." Sesshou-Maru seemed unsure whether he should say it or not. But something stirred inside of him, and he gained breath enough to say it. "You are... dear to me brother. Though... in the past... I may have said... otherwise. But I tell you... it is true," he told him. Then Sesshou-Maru seemed to relax, like a great weight had been lifted from him, like a great battle had been put right. He felt so much better, and more ready for what was to become of him.  
  
Inu-Yasha felt rather strange, and something inside of him stirred as well. A feeling of... what was it? Brotherhood. He had never felt it before, but he knew what it was out of instinct.  
  
Then, something remarkable happened. Inu-Yasha found himself in a very tight embrace. But who's? Then it hit him. Sesshou-Maru had found a way to sit up and pulled him into it. Inu-Yasha felt a wave of emotions, and returned to the hug. And something else happened; his eyes began to water. Not out pain, but of pure sadness, and joy. He had finally made amends with brother, and his brother had shown him that he saw him as an equal. Neither wanted to let go, but it was inevitable. Sesshou-Maru started to cough again, and insisted upon being laid down. His body shook again, and showed great pain on his face. Both brothers still had tears falling, but neither did anything about them. They simply looked at each with great joy, and sadness. Then Sesshou-Maru began to talk once more.  
  
"Inu-Yasha... dear brother... take good care... of yourself... and take... good care... of your companions. Tell them... that I have gone... to a better place. And... promise me... you will never forget... your elder brother?" Sesshou-Maru asked him, nearer to death than ever.  
  
"I would never forget a brother so important. Not for the world," Inu- Yasha replied, looking rather sad at his remark.  
  
"Or a sword."  
  
Both laughed whole-heartedly. Then Sesshou-Maru began to cough uncontrollably. Inu-Yasha grabbed his brother's hand to offer comfort from the pain his brother was suffering. He soon calmed, and became misty-eyed, the pain leaving and his body began to shutdown. Sesshou-Maru squeezed Inu- Yasha's hand, trying to stay calm. Inu-Yasha squeezed back, letting him know that he was still there.  
  
"Don't leave me... brother... don't leave me..." Sesshou-Maru begged.  
  
"I'm right here Brother. I'm not leaving you," Inu-Yasha told him firmly, becoming scared himself. The female took his other hand, and tried to calm him as well.  
  
"Kaifuku suru kare no chikara, Kami-Sama. Shinsetsu na kare no seishin, kokoro, soshite shinzo..." she relayed the almost prayer so quietly that Inu-Yasha could barely hear her. It was prayer that was hardly ever used, and she surprisingly relayed it very well. It was only known to be used when in the presence of royalty as they lay on their deathbed. How she could recite it so well, he decided he'd rather not know the answer to that.  
  
"Brother... what is that... beautiful light... above us?" Sesshou-Maru asked, and they knew he was beginning to pass. The female ignored his comment and continued her prayer. Inu-Yasha looked, and nothing. Then he looked at his brother and replied.  
  
"Your new friends are coming to get you. Their waiting for you," Inu- Yasha told him, smiling.  
  
"My... new friends? How... kind ... they are," he said, smiling himself. Then he seemed to take a deep breath. All went quiet, and Sesshou-Maru breathed his last. Inu-Yasha looked at him, and saw a smile on his face, none like he'd ever seen before.  
  
All the others had sensed what was happening, and walked over to bid him farewell. As they approached, Inu-Yasha moved over just enough for them to see him. Miroku was first.  
  
"I never knew you, but I wish you good luck in the after life. You were a very kind soul inside," Miroku then said a small prayer and let Sango past.  
  
"I'm not sure what to say, but I will wish you luck, and I thank you for helping us in our battle. You were kind indeed," She touched his hand and left.  
  
"I know you never seemed to like me much, but you were very kind in not hurting me. Your Inu-Yasha's brother, and you helped him to live though his younger years. I thank you for that. And I thank you for helping him in all other ways that you did. You were very brave indeed, and had great courage and self-pride that withstood all else. I wish you well in the afterlife, and I hope you find a good place to eternally rest. Good-bye Sesshou-Maru-Sama," she said, kissed his forehead, turned to Inu-Yasha and left him to say good-bye.  
  
"Hey, I just wanna say that your one of the biggest assholes of all. But you're the best of all. You kept me in my place, and I am grateful of you for doing that. You kept me up and going, and I thank you for that to. You're my only brother, and I could never of asked for better one. Maybe, but I'd be dead if I did," Sesshou-Maru face almost seemed to smile more at his words. "But you gotta promise me that you'll save a place for me up there. Damn you, you always get first dibs at everything. But that's ok. You deserve it. You're the older brother, and you should always get the better of things," Inu-Yasha sniffed, and tears formed once more. He lowered his head, and let the tears fall freely. He cried for few minutes, and then resumed his speech. "But do promise to remember your little brother down here. You know, the one who's always in trouble with someone, or finding as much trouble as possible. The one who could never be as good as you. But would never give up trying. Remember me big brother, and don't you dare forget me! I'll raise hell up there if you do!" He laughed a little, seeing the true reality of it. "Well, I guess this is good-bye," he said, and leaned down to hug his brother's body. "I love you big brother, and I'll always look up to you," he said, squeezing his brother's hand. Tears came freely now, and he couldn't take it.  
  
He jumped up and ran into the woods, not able stay near his brother's body any longer. He knew if he did, he would just break down. It ailed him to leave his brother's side, but he knew that eventually he must.  
  
All the others watched him run off, and nodded it off. They all knew what he must have been feeling and decided to let him be. The female was still sitting next to Sesshou-Maru, and looked to refuse to move an inch. Something wasn't right with her, and everyone knew it. But they dismissed it as just having come from battle and suffering the loss of a death.  
  
But Inu-Yasha knew there was something amiss with the female that seemed to never leave his body.  
  
'Something just ain't right with that female. There's something about her that sends shivers down my spine. And hell if I'm not going to find out what it is!' 


	2. Realization

Disclaimer: I don't own Inu-Yasha or anything I may use in this story. But I do own the  
the mysterious female! See! I'm not as poor as I've been told!  
  
AN: Sorry y'al, I forgot to tell you what the strange words meant. But sorry again, I  
can't let you all know until later. It's all a supporter for suspense. But you'll know  
soon enough!  
  
The battlefield had been cleaned up, and camp was set up. There was only one thing left to do. Bury Sesshou-Maru. Miroku had tried to ask Inu- Yasha where the grave should be, but he wasn't there to ask. So he assumed that Inu-Yasha would take care of it, since it was his brother's burial.  
  
The sun was getting quite low in the sky, and Kagome was worried. Inu- Yasha hadn't come back yet, and she wondered how long he'd be gone. But something else bothered her. Why had he left? She remembered seeing him crying as he ran off, but why? What was he crying about? Could it be because his brother was gone? No, he had said that he hated his brother. Then why had he been crying? He had always acting like he hated him! Then why had he acted so distraught, so sad, so, almost fearful? He had run like one would run from something that scared them. But why? Could it be that...  
  
But her thoughts were interrupted when the source of her worry appeared. Inu-Yasha came trudging out the woods, his face downcast. Everyone looked up, but then quickly turned away, knowing what he was about to do. He was going to bury his brother.  
  
"This is going to be hard for him," Miroku whispered to Sango, who seated next to him in front of the growing fire.  
  
"Yes, I agree. That's his older brother, and he died by the hands of Naraku," Sango replied, giving him a knowing glance.  
  
Inu-Yasha walked to his body very slower, as if never wanting to have to bury it. He didn't want his brother to be dead, didn't want him to be gone, and he surely didn't want damned female anywhere near his body either! He let a low growl out, but stopped when he neared her. She smelled of tears, a lot of tears. But most disturbing of all, she didn't smell of sadness at all. Not grief, or even the scent guilt or anger came from her. It was as if she was emotionless.  
  
'But that couldn't be. She has to have some kind of feelings. Maybe I'm just not focused,' Inu-Yasha told himself, walking up to the female. She was hunched over, and seemed oblivious to his presence.  
  
'Huh, how usual. This human must not even know that I'm here,' he thought, walking up behind her. He knelt down, and placed a hand on her shoulder. But she didn't move, just simply acted as if he didn't even exist. 'Or she did and doesn't feel like talking.'  
  
"Hey, are you ok?" Inu-Yasha asked her, trying to start a conversation.  
  
She didn't say anything, just kept on with her silence. He decided to give her time, but then couldn't stand it. The silence wasn't what he wanted for an answer.  
  
"You gonna talk to me? Or are you gonna just sit there forever?" He asked, none to nicely, thinking it would get his point across.  
  
But his harsh tone did nothing to move her. It was as if she was deaf.  
  
'Maybe she is deaf!' Inu-Yasha thought. 'That may be the reason why Sesshou-Maru was protecting her.'  
  
"Hey, I don't know if you can hear me or not, but you've got to get up so I can bury..." was all he got out.  
  
She had made him stop with a glare that could kill. He looked her straight in the eye, and saw nothing but anger, and rage that was directed at his words. He was stunned by this, and decided to take a different approach.  
  
"You ok?" He asked again. She turned head back around. Her answer was rather straightforward.  
  
"No," she said almost too calm for her own good.  
  
"Why? Are you in distress from his death?"  
  
"No," she answered, but there was the slightest hint of otherwise in her voice.  
  
"Then why don't you get up so that I can bury him?"  
  
Her reply was none to calm, but rather harsh and not what he had expected.  
  
"I'd rather live in hell with an eternity of dicks crawling down my throat than move from his side," she said, turning her face toward Sesshou- Maru's, almost as if expecting him to agree with her. But he did not move, and it pained her deeply. But she wouldn't show it, not to one like this man. He acted so calm from his own brother's death. Why didn't he even show a single sign of grieving?  
  
"Listen, I don't know what that was suppose to mean, but I need you to move," He said, and reached to grab her arm. She swatted his hand away and held Sesshou-Maru closer. But Inu-Yasha wasn't going to tolerate it. He couldn't stand seeing his brother's body any longer. It was tearing him apart to see what had become of him. So again he reached out to grab her arm. But as soon as his hand was around it, he was hit with something he had never expected.  
  
It took him a minute to register it. Once he had, he looked at the female. She had flung him back, and what he saw amazed him. She had taken what looked like great blankets of leather and surrounded Sesshou-Maru, until he wasn't even visible. Inu-Yasha became scared, but pushed the feeling down. He wasn't about to let this woman win a fight like this. If he was going to lose, then so was she. He walked over to her, ready for anything, not sure what to expect.  
  
She knew he was coming, and let herself go on guard. Her arms could no longer be seen, and the only part of her visible was her head. Inu-Yasha walked right up to her, and she kept still, waiting for his next move.  
  
'She's on guard, that isn't good. It's probably be best if I didn't move in an aggressive manner,' he thought, shifting his eyes to her face.  
  
Inu-Yasha reached out his hand as calmly as he possibly could. But it apparently was the wrong thing to do. As soon as his fingers barely touched her skin, she whipped her head around. Inu-Yasha withdrew his hand and fell, as if he had just been bitten. She faced him with a look of pure wildness. She had her fangs bore widely, and was hissing; her eyes were naught but flashes of colors, constantly changing. Inu-Yasha almost felt like running from the sight of her. To him, she looked almost feral. Like she was a rapid animal, ready to attack him if he dared move. The humans looked at the scene, their eyes filled with fear. But none dared move either. From the sight of fangs, each knew instantly that she was demon. But none knew what type of demon, or how powerful she was. They knew that it was best not to see how powerful she was, and leave it to Inu-Yasha. He was closest anyway, and it was obviously his own issue. If they got into it, then they would get a rude awakening.  
  
Inu-Yasha was breathing heavily. Not from exhaustion, but from fear. He knew that his brother had taken in a helpless human child. But he hadn't known that he'd taken in a demon. He didn't know why, but even from his little bit of knowledge about his brother, she had to be very powerful to be accepted around him. His brother was very powerful, and Inu-Yasha didn't know WHAT kind of power this demoness could be in control of. That is why he didn't dare move. All was silent and still, until she moved.  
  
Her first move was to close her mouth and stop hissing. Then she moved her gaze away from him, and towards Sesshou-Maru again. Inu-Yasha relaxed a little, now that her gaze was not on him anymore. But his guard was still up, and he didn't think it was safe yet to move. After a while he decided that it was safe, since she hadn't moved an inch since her last scene. He first moved his leg, just to test her. She didn't move. Then he moved the other. Nothing. Next he got up. He froze when she turned her eyes towards him. There as no way that he was about to test her any further. After a short while, she looked away, as if knowing that he was no longer a threat. Inu-Yasha waited a second, then starting walking towards the human's camp.  
  
The sun was starting to set, and Inu-Yasha thought that maybe he should just wait on his brother's burial. Though he really wanted to go over there and teach her a thing or two, he decided against it. It wasn't a good idea to disturb the almost fragile female. He sat with his legs crossed. The humans didn't, afraid of what kind of feelings the Hanyou was feelings, and they defiantly didn't want to find out the hard way.  
  
Supper served, and they all ate in silence. Once they were done, each went to their place and slept. Inu-Yasha was the last one up. He stared off at the lone female, who hadn't ceased her leathery cloak around Sesshou- Maru. She was still awake and brewing.  
  
'I don't know what your deal is, but I definitely not going to let you get away with your attitude,' were Inu-Yasha's last thoughts before he drifted off to sleep.  
  
But she stayed awake all night. She couldn't sleep, knowing that he wasn't there with her. She couldn't stand not feeling his warm, not feeling him hold her close. It pained her so deeply that she let the tears come freely down her cheeks.  
  
'Why must it be this way? Why did you leave me? What have I done wrong?' 


End file.
